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Nigeria’s Barau Elected 1st Deputy Speaker Of ECOWAS Parliament
Nigeria’s Barau Elected 1st Deputy Speaker Of ECOWAS Parliament
By: Michael Mike
Deputy President Of the Nigerian Senate, Jibrin Barau has been elected 1st Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of the Economic Community of West African States(ECOWAS Parliament) during the inauguration of the 6th Legislature of the regional bloc.
The 6th Legislature was inaugurated by the Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, who is also the Chair of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the regional body in accordance with the Supplementary Act on the Enhancement of Powers of the regional legislature in a ceremony which was held in Abuja on Thursday.
The substantive Speaker of the regional legislature was unable to be elected following the inability of Togo, which the position was zoned, to produce the Speaker due to the political situation in the country.
Barau was nominated by Nigerian member of Parliament, Awaji- Inombek Dagomie Abiante, in a session presided by Liberia’s Edwin Snowe as interim Speaker. His nomination was seconded by another Nigerian member of Parliament, Senator Ireti Kingibe and he was voted unopposed.
The office of the Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament is usually reserved for Nigeria anytime the country is not presiding as Speaker of the Parliament.
Also elected as Second Deputy Speaker was Adjaratou Traore Coulibally from Cote d’Ivoire, who polled 54 votes to beat Cecile Ahoumnon from Benin, who got no single vote.
The position of the Third Deputy Speaker was won by Alexander Kwamena Afenyo- Markin from Ghana in a unanimous vote.
The Fourth Deputy Speaker position was won by Billay Tunkara from The Gambia with 47 votes beating Orlando Pereira Dias from Cabo Verde who got 7 votes.
Outgoing Speaker of the Parliament, Sidie Mohammed Tunis, thanked the regional body for the opportunity given him to serve for four years even as he reaffirmed his commitment to the regional body.
Tunis was appointed ceremonial speaker, following the gap that exists because Togo, the country to which the Speakership was zoned, as the country was not able to produce the Speaker due to some prevailing political situation.
Tunis however announced his intention to travel to Togo to see how best to get a Speaker, saying “I will proceed to Togo to have a conversion with the authorities there with a view to encouraging them to have their delegation inaugurated as soon as possible so that we can have a Speaker to run this institution. It is very, very important. There are so many things to do in the sub-region, and the ECOWAS Parliament has a very big role to play in the sub-region but they will not be able to do so without the Speaker.”
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar in his address, noted that in the face of the various challenges confronting the region, including peace, stability, security, as well as the unity of the region, the role of the Parliament is more important than ever.
The Minister, who is also the chair of the ECOWAS Council of Ministers, commended the outgoing 5th Legislature, especially its Speaker Mohamed Tunis, for their invaluable contributions to the ECOWAS Parliament and the Organization as a whole.
Tuggar said “it is, therefore, imperative that the Parliament continues to work in synergy with the ECOWAS Commission and other Institutions that serve as the executive and judicial arms of our governments”.
Nigeria’s Barau Elected 1st Deputy Speaker Of ECOWAS Parliament
Warabe killings, Zulum awards scholarship to children
By: Bodunrin Kayode
Governor Babagana Zulum has declared
scholarship for children of 13 civilian joint task force (CJTF) residents slaughtered at Warabe village Gwoza council area of Borno state.
The Governor who was at the community Wednesday for a sympathy visit also declared a million naira for each of the widows of the CJTF that were slaughtered when insurgents ambushed them recently.
Trouble actually started recently when two of the residents from the community went off to scavenge for firewood in the thick belly of the savannah within their general area.
The insurgents quickly attacked and killed two of the CJTF members in the process for daring to forage into the forest.
Some of the residents who escaped the ambush returned to base and informed the community about the loss of two of their members.
” the community then mobilized a fresh team of rescuers to get to the location of the tragedy to retrieve the corpses of their fallen members.
” By the time they got to the location to retrieve the corps of their fallen friends, 11 of them were killed in a fresh ambush making 13.
“The whole community was thrown into mourning in the process. And that is why we are asking the Governor to assist us in tightening the security architecture of this axis.” Said our source.
Warabe killings, Zulum awards scholarship to children
Chinese expatriate kidnapped after murder of 8 NSCDC personnel in Edo, regains freedom in Kogi
By: Zagazola Makama
A Chinese expatriate earlier kidnapped in an attack that claimed the lives of eight personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Edo has regained his freedom.
The expatriate, identified as Mr. Wang, was abducted on Sept. 5 during an assault targeting a team of NSCDC operatives assigned to protect Chinese workers at the BUA Cement Plant, Okpella.
Zagazola Makama gathered that Mr. Wang was released at about 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 2 in Kabba, Kogi State.
Sources said that the expatriate left Nigeria immediately after regaining his freedom and has since returned to China.
Details on whether ransom was paid or how negotiations were conducted were not disclosed.
Chinese expatriate kidnapped after murder of 8 NSCDC personnel in Edo, regains freedom in Kogi
Army troops rescue 10 kidnapped women, recover rifle and ransom money in Sanga, Kaduna
By: Zagazola Makama
The Nigerian Army troops of 1 Division Operation FANSAN YANMA have rescued 10 kidnapped women during a coordinated search-and-rescue operation in Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The women were abducted from their farms at Ungwan Nungu on Nov. 29.
Sources told Zagazola Makama that the successful operation was carried out after days of sustained days search operations to track the kidnappers.
The sources stated that at about 6:40 a.m. on Friday, the troops made contact with the abductors who were attempting to receive ransom money from relatives of the victims.
“The troops engaged the kidnappers with superior firepower, forcing them to abandon the victims and flee,” the sources added.
According to the sources, the troops rescued all 10 victims and recovered one fabricated AK-47 rifle, one round of 9mm ammunition and ₦1.6 million, said to be part of the ransom the criminals were attempting to collect.
The rescued victims have been debriefed and reunited with their families, while efforts are ongoing to track and arrest the fleeing suspects.
Army troops rescue 10 kidnapped women, recover rifle and ransom money in Sanga, Kaduna
Warabe killings, Zulum awards scholarship to children
Chinese expatriate kidnapped after murder of 8 NSCDC personnel in Edo, regains freedom in Kogi
Army troops rescue 10 kidnapped women, recover rifle and ransom money in Sanga, Kaduna
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